President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support UAW workers, a source familiar with the trip told CNN.

GENEVA A U.N.-mandated investigation into continuing atrocities in Ethiopia faces closure after a U.N. website on Wednesday showed

A third of hospitals have already shut, the UN says, amid fears of fuel running out within hours.

Five people affiliated with a white nationalist hate group are suing a Seattle-area man who they say infiltrated the group and disclosed their identities online, leading them to lose their jobs and face harassment

Despite Swift being a no-show during the Chiefs' recent triumph against the Minnesota Vikings, her charm seems to have rubbed off on Kelce

A songwriter and model who co-wrote one of Katy Perry’s hit songs has mysteriously vanished and her loved ones fear someone is holding her captive. Swedish-born Camela Leierth-Segura, 48, was last seen in the Beverly Hills area back on 29 June, according to the California Department of Justice’s missing persons page. Her longtime friend Cecilia Foss told The Independent that it’s not like her to just vanish without a trace and the fact that her beloved 19-year-old cat Morris is also missing has made it even more of a mystery. “My worst fear is that someone has her, and is hurting her,” Ms Foss said, adding that Ms Leierth-Segura is not someone who would just disappear for seven weeks without responding to anyone. “If she was going for a drive to clear her head, I get it,” Ms Foss said. “But it’s been seven weeks. And no one has heard from her. Nobody goes for a seven-week drive.” Ms Leierth-Segura had already been missing for several weeks before her friends and family put the pieces together. “She was always so busy with projects but when 10, 20, 50 of us discovered none of us had heard from her, we got really worried,” Foss said. She said their friend Liz Montgomery called for a welfare check and Beverly Hills police responded to her apartment where the landlord informed them she had been evicted. Neighbours have told local news they hadn’t seen her in weeks, pointing out that the usually well-tended plants on her balcony are now dead. Ms Montgomery filed a missing person report and has been in contact with her family. Beverly Hills Police have alerts out for Camela, her black cat Morris and her car. It’s not known if the cat is with Camela. Ms Foss and their friend Liz Montgomery are in close contact with Camela’s family in Sweden. “They are devastated and overwhelmed,” Ms Foss said. “With them there and Camela here, I think it’s just very hard for her family to even comprehend that she is missing.” Ms Leierth-Segura’s last text message was sent on 29 June, and her Ford Fusion car was last seen on police cameras leaving Beverly Hills the following afternoon, 30 June. But it’s not clear who was driving the vehicle. “She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble; Covid definitely was not helpful for her because she’s a musician, model, actress, all that stuff,” Ms Montgomery told The Los Angeles Times. “And there was no money coming in.” It is not clear when exactly she was evicted or where she was staying afterwards. In an Instagram post, Ms Montgomery also urged for help in tracking down the missing woman. “This is a personal friend of mine. A best friend. People are asking so, YES! PLEASE SHARE - HELP NEEDED! My dear friend of over 25 years is missing. LAST SEEN IN BEVERLY HILLS ON JUNE 29,2023,” she wrote. “We are extremely worried about her safety, and despite our best efforts, the local authorities have not been able to locate her. If you have any information, even the smallest detail can help, please reach out immediately.” She added: “She means the world to us and time is of the essence. Her family in Sweden is pleading for your assistance. PLEASE spread the word, SHARE this post, and help us bring Camela home safely. Thank you for your support and assistance in this critical matter.” “I’d like to think that nothing bad happened, but do I think something bad happened? Yeah,” she said. A GoFundMe has been created by her sister Lisa and loved ones are hoping money will help bring in information to find her. Read More Maryland police to announce ‘potential suspect’ in Rachel Morin murder investigation Camela Leierth-Segura – update: Search for missing Katy Perry songwriter after mysterious disappearance Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills

Lil Tay’s parents have been involved in an ugly custody battle for years

The North Korea-Russia border is seeing a sharp increase in rail traffic in likely signs of Kim Jong-un helping Russian president Vladimir Putin by supplying munitions, a US think-tank claimed, citing recent satellite photos. Satellite images from 5 October showed a “dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic” at the Tumangang Rail Facility, according to Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Approximately 73 railcars were visible in the images from last week, whereas previous satellite pictures over the past five years showed about 20 railcars at this facility at the most. It was not immediately clear what the contents of the railway shipments were as the shipping crates were covered under tarpaulin. This was likely a follow-up action after the North Korean leader met with his Russian counterpart in Russia’s far east last month, according to Beyond Parallel. “Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchanges and cooperation at their recent summit, the dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia,” it said on Friday. “However, the extensive use of tarps to cover the shipping crates/containers and equipment makes it impossible to conclusively identify what is seen at the Tumangang Rail Facility" on the border, it said. This comes at a time leaders and experts have warned against North Korea’s plan to assist Russia’s depleting munition reserves in its continuing invasion of Ukraine. As Mr Kim met Mr Putin in Russia and visited key military sites and discussed strategic cooperation on defence, leaders speculated that North Korea could aid Moscow. The North Korean leader could have sought sophisticated Russian weapons technologies to boost his nuclear programme in barter for the munition, foreign leaders said. Officials in the US and South Korea warned North and Russia of consequences if they went ahead with the speculated weapons transfer deal in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions that ban all weapons trade involving Pyongyang which is under heavy sanctions for its nuclear weapons programme. The White House has said Russia wants to buy "literally millions" of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. The reports of North Korea aiding Russia in invading Ukraine emerged last year when the US said the hermit kingdom was sending ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, with many of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. Officials in South Korea said the weapons provided by the North have already been used in Ukraine. “While access to such stocks of North may help Russia prolong the conflict, it is unlikely going to change the outcome,” according to Joseph Dempsey, a defence researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “The size of these stores and its degradation over time is less clear, as is the scale of ongoing production, but these stockpiles could help replenish those severely depleted in Ukraine,” he said. Read More North Korea vows strong response to Pentagon report that calls it a 'persistent' threat North Korea's Kim sets forth steps to boost Russia ties as US and Seoul warn about weapons deals North Korea says Kim Jong Un is back home from Russia, where he deepened 'comradely' ties with Putin North Korean state media says Kim Jong Un discussed arms cooperation with Russian defense minister North Korean arms for Russia probably wouldn't make a big difference in the Ukraine war, Milley says

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals weighs whether to preserve access to mifepristone.

An extremist Israeli Cabinet minister has visited a sensitive Jerusalem holy site at a time of heightened tensions with the Palestinians

Thousands of ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday in lines of cars which stretched for kilometres, after Azerbaijan took control of the breakaway region sparking fears of persecution. Desperate residents of the main city sent videos showing families stocking up vehicles and sitting in long tailbacks which have brought the mountainous road to Armenia to a complete standstill. They told The Independent people chose to leave fearing abuse at the hands of the Azerbaijani authorities and a burgeoning humanitarian crisis as food, fuel, gas and electricity were increasingly scarce following a 10-month blockade. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the authorities of the breakaway region to agree to lay down weapons. They also agreed to start talks on the “reintegration” of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, into Azerbaijan, after three decades of separatist rule. Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians and to restore the supply routes they cut in December. But Artak Beglaryan, a former adviser to the self-declared government of Artsakh, told The Independent that people fear reprisals and ethnic cleansing and so “almost all the villages” and large parts of main city Stepanakert, which Azerbaijan calls Khankendi, “are emptying”. The leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh said in total nearly 7,000 people fled to Armenia on Monday alone. “They are fleeing because of the genocidal policy of Azerbaijan, the blockade, their aggression, and the failure of Russian peacekeepers to guarantee protection,” Mr Beglaryan added with desperation. “It is impossible to live under Azerbaijani subjugation. The Azerbaijani state and society is full of hatred of Armenians. “The international community is just looking at this and saying sorry. Nothing else is being done. We are frustrated with everyone. We are frustrated with humanity.” Siranush Sargsyan, a freelance Armenian journalist who also spoke to The Independent from Stepanakert, sent videos of lines of vehicles trying to escape. “I have never seen so many cars together, people are scared the roads will close and they won’t be able to leave so they are going now. And the other problem is food, it is hard to try to find to find something to eat,” she said. “Nobody wants to leave, we just want to have a life. If we know that we are protected we would stay but who is going to give us that guarantee?” She said the ethnic Armenians had suffered 10 months of “psychological terror” and starvation, because of Azerbaijan’s effective siege. Breaking down into tears, she accused the international community had prioritised their own economic interests over the lives of ethnic Armenians. “The whole world was silent because our lives were not as important as Azerbaijani gas. The world exchanged our lives for gas.” The world exchanged our lives for gas Siranush Sargsyan, a freelance Armenian journalist Both sides have been locked in a bloody battle over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. It is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan – which is backed by Turkey – but home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians who have enjoyed de facto independence since then. In 2020, a six-week war erupted during which nearly 7,000 people were killed Azerbaijan reclaimed swathes of region. Russia, historically a close ally of Armenia, brokered a truce and dispatched 2,000 peacekeepers. But in recent months Moscow has taken a step back since building stronger ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey after suffering crippling sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. And so on Tuesday, the Russian-agreed true was broken by the Azerbaijan army who launched a 24-hour string of lightning strikes against the severely outnumbered and outgunned breakaway forces. The area had been struggling with a humanitarian crisis due to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the “Lachin Corridor” - the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia - piling on further pressure. Now thousands are on the move. Moscow said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation. A second round of meetings between Azerbaijani officials and separatist representatives began in Khojaly on Tuesday after the opening meeting last week. The international community has been quick to urge Baku to protect the ethnic Armenians. On Monday, the German government said Azerbaijani had a responsibility to protect rights. The day before, French president Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilise food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working toward a ‘’sustainable peace” in the region. Meanwhile, the head of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, visited Armenia Monday to “affirm US support for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.” She was joined by US Department of State acting assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian affairs Yuri Kim. “The United States is deeply concerned about reports on the humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for unimpeded access for international humanitarian organizations and commercial traffic,” USAID said. In an address to the nation Sunday, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Pashinyhan has faced growing calls for his resignation over what demonstrators have said is his failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno Karabkh. Read More What is Nakhchivan? And after Nagorno-Karabakh, is this the next crisis for Azerbaijan and Armenia Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president is set to visit Azerbaijan First refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Armenia following Azerbaijan's military offensive What is Nakhchivan? And after Nagorno-Karabakh, is this the next crisis for Azerbaijan and Armenia First refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Armenia following Azerbaijan's military offensive Aid shipments and evacuations as Azerbaijan reasserts control over breakaway province Azerbaijan send in food supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh after warning of humanitarian catastrophe Azerbaijan send in food supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh after warning of humanitarian catastrophe Stones thrown as Armenian protesters clash with police after ceasefire

By Greg Bensinger, Akash Sriram and Max A. Cherney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Alphabet's second-quarter profit exceeded Wall Street expectations on